The Together Season Festival, a programme of work from local artists; curated by a panel of artists, audience members and theatre representatives kicks off at Sheffield Theatres next week. The Festival of thirteen works takes place from Monday 24 May – Saturday 5 June at the Crucible.
The festival forms part of Sheffield Theatres’ initiatives to champion new work and give a platform to the talent of local freelance artists and companies. Artists from across the region were invited to submit productions to feature in the programme, with the panel, led by RTYDS Associate Artistic Director Anthony Lau, working together over a number of weeks to create the festival line-up.
Each company will perform on the Crucible stage and audiences will experience a range of performance genres across the festival fortnight. Closing the festival is Sheffield’s former poet laureate Otis Mensah.
Leading the project, Anthony Lau said: “This final selection of thirteen artists and companies is a celebration of the extraordinary talent in this city and region. There is a huge breadth of work and, over the two weeks of the festival, there will be pieces ranging from dance and physical theatre to new writing, spoken word, singing and drama.
“There will be circus and puppets, something to make you laugh and something to make you think. In showcasing some of the most exciting artists in Sheffield, we wanted to bring all of us back together too.
“The Festival is about putting local talent on our stages, front and centre, but it is also about bringing audiences back into our auditorium. It is about the liveness of theatre and being back together after too long apart.
“This past year has been tough for everyone working in the arts; none more so than for the many freelance artists who contribute so much to the stages, screens and cultural fabric of this city. With projects cancelled, ideas curtailed and little opportunity to perform their work, we’re excited to share this new platform.”
Sheffield Theatres also announced two brand new schemes for local artists to develop new work, with a number of funding pots of £750 and £2000 available for artists or companies from the Sheffield area to apply for.
The 4 x 4 Commissions with Cast, Doncaster, offers funding to artists, companies and live performance makers to support their work for a period of four months, while the Sheffield Theatres Remote Residencies and Professional Development Scheme will offer 8 artists or companies funding of £750 to support their personal and professional development. Further information is available at www.sheffieldtheatres.co.uk.
Tickets for The Together Season Festival are on sale now at www.sheffieldtheatres.co.uk.
